Bucs add M.J. Stewart to secondary at No. 53

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have selected cornerback M.J. Stewart out of North Carolina in the second round with the 53rd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Bucs entered the draft with a need to address their secondary and waited until their third selection to add a defensive back, grabbing defensive tackle Vita Vea (12th) and running back Ronald Jones II (38th) earlier on.

Stewart will have to compete for a starting role but will likely enter camp as Tampa's third corner behind Vernon Hargreaves and Brent Grimes.

M.J. Stewart Bio

Position: CB
School: North Carolina
College Experience: Senior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 200 lbs

What the analysts are saying

• "Stewart can be deployed in a variety of positions in the secondary which should lend itself to early playing time for him with a starter's role in his future." - Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
• "A stout cover man with a well-rounded skill set, Stewart was one of this year’s biggest winners at Senior Bowl practices. His physical style of play will impress teams who prefer to play press-man coverage, but a deep corner class could make him a bargain in the middle rounds." - Luke Easterling, Draft Wire

Athletic testing